Dark vs Light LME

I've seen a couple answers about this, but my question is, I'm brewing an Imperial Stout. Most recipes call for Light Extract, but I have some extra Dark extract. Why not use it? Especially in an Imperial Stout. Does it have to do with fermentables?

If you have it, use it. The reason for recommending light extract is that it gives you more control over your final product because you are controlling the ingredients that make it darker instead of the maltster controlling that part of the process.

what boyd said.

I made a Bourbon Imperial Stout & used the extra dark DME. tons of people told me not to use it because of the flavor/color control issue, but it turned out great! then got in tons of arguments about being a "Betty Crocker brewer", but it's your brew. brew it how you like! tons of folks will give you crap about process & ingredients, but end of the fermentation: it's your beer.:rockin:

Thanks guys. I have a couple ingredient kits on the shelf starting to get some age, so I wanna combine the good stuff and make a big nasty Imperial out of it. I'll put it in a brew calculator too and tweak from there.

I'm working on a stout as well, I have always used one dark and one golden LME. I just figured you used it cause it's a dark beer. So with what you are all saying I can use all golden and just use my specialty grains for color? Would that give it more consistancey?

The_Traveling_Brewer said:

I'm working on a stout as well, I have always used one dark and one golden LME. I just figured you used it cause it's a dark beer. So with what you are all saying I can use all golden and just use my specialty grains for color? Would that give it more consistancey?

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it would give you more control over flavor & color. being constant is more of a fermentation control & boil issue. also keeping your IBU's consistent since AA% can vary quite a bit. are you doing partial or full boil?

Billy-Klubb said:

it would give you more control over flavor & color. being constant is more of a fermentation control & boil issue. also keeping your IBU's consistent since AA% can vary quite a bit. are you doing partial or full boil?

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That's good to know. Thanks. I'm doing a full boil. 6 gal boiled down to about 5.

The_Traveling_Brewer said:

That's good to know. Thanks. I'm doing a full boil. 6 gal boiled down to about 5.

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:rockin:

ProstheticHead said:

I've seen a couple answers about this, but my question is, I'm brewing an Imperial Stout. Most recipes call for Light Extract, but I have some extra Dark extract. Why not use it? Especially in an Imperial Stout. Does it have to do with fermentables?

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If you have it use it. I would however make sure to take a refractometer reading during the boil. If your reading is spot on to where your target SG is supposed to be. Add some DME or other fermentable to bump it up a bit.

The problem with these dark LMEs is that there mostly mixed from two different malts or more. Darker LME is not as fermentable as lighter LME.